Apparatus for cleaning threads



May 22, 1956 A. MOOS APPARATUS FOR CLEANING THREADS Filed Oct. 29, 1953 IN V EN TOR. A L BE/PTMO 05- United States Patent APPARATUS FOR CLEANING THREADS Albert Moos, Gschwader, Uster, Switzerland, assignor to Zellweger A. G. Apparateund Maschinenfabriken Uster, Uster, Switzerland, a'corporation of Switzerland Application October 29, 1953, Serial No. 389,109

Claims priority, application Switzerland November 21, 1952 3 Claims. (Cl. 28-64) The present invention relates to an improved device for cleaning threads.

Thread cleaners are known for use in combination with spooling machines and the like in which the thread to be cleaned is conducted through a slot which is inclined to the direction of movement of the thread. An enlargement or lump in the thread causes increased resistance in the slot and slides along the edges of the slot, laterally moving the thread out of its normal course. Such devices principally serve to clamp the lumps in the rear part of the slot so that the thread breaks. This is effected by additional devices which consist, for example, of a second slot which is parallel to the first slot or which consist of special means which are carried along by the slub.

A further object of the present invention resides in the provision of a special construction of the device for severing the thread to be used in combination with the aforementioned thread cleaners or slub catchers. The device according to the invention includes a slot which is gradually narrowed in the direction of the lateral movement of the thread so that the thread which is moved out of its normal course by a slub is caught so that the thread is severed at further movement of the thread.

The novel features which are considered characteristic of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself however and additional objects and advantages thereof will best be understood from the following description of four embodiments thereof when read in connection with the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a first modification of a device according to the invention.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic perspective illustration of a second modification of a device according to the invention.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic perspective illustration of a third modification.

Fig. 4 is an end view of the device shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a fourth modification.

Referring more particularly to Figure l, numerals 1 and 2 designate two plates forming a slot which is inclined to the direction of movement of the thread 3. The width of the slot is either fixed or adjustable in the conventional manner. A slub in the thread causes the thread to move laterally in the conventional manner to assume a position designated by numeral 3. After the thread 3 has passed through the slot formed by the plates 1 and 2, the thread runs through a second slot formed by plates 4 and 5 which second slot is wedge shaped and narrows gradually in the direction of the lateral movement of the thread so that the thread 3 which is in the position 3 is clamped at point 3". Upon further pull on the thread by the machine causing the movement of the thread, for example a spooling machine, the thread is broken.

The plates 4 and 5 are either fixed or may be swingable apart simultaneously with the plates 1 and 2 for cleaning the slub catcher. The rear ends of the plates 4 and 5 position.

In the device shown in Fig. 2 it is not necessary that the plates which form the Wedge shaped slot abut against each other. The thread 6 runs in the direction of the arrow through a slot formed 'by plates 7 and 8 which slot is inclined to thedirec'tion of movement of the thread, the thread being moved to the position 6', there is .a slub in the thread. After passage of the thread through .the slot which is inclined to the direction of movement of the thread, the latter passes through .a .slot fhaving substantially parallel edges and being formed by plates 9 and 10. An intermediate plate 11 assures a desired spacing of a plate 12 from the plates 9 and 10, the upper edge of plate 12 being inclined to the second slot and gradually covers the latter in the direction of the lateral movement of the thread 6. The thickness of the intermediate plate 11 is equal to or smaller than the diameter of the threads to be cleaned. The laterally moved thread which is in the position 6 is sharply diverted at point 6" and simultaneously more or less clamped depending on the thickness of the intermediate plate. The friction caused by the diversion and the clamping effect of the plates 9 and 12 produces so much resistance that an additional pull on the thread causes severing of the latter.

Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate an embodiment in which an increased number of diversions considerably increases the friction so that the clamping effect between the plates may be smaller and the spaces between the plates relatively to the thickness of the thread may be greater. The thread 13 is passed through a slot formed by plates 14 and 15 which laterally moves the thread upon occurrence of a slub. The clamping means consists of two plates 16 and 17 forming a second slot, and of a plate 18 which gradually covers the slot in the direction of the lateral movement of the thread 13. The plate 18 is separated from plate 14 by an intermediate plate 19 and from plate 16 by an intermediate plate 20. A spacing member 21 is so thick that the plates 14 and 15 and the plates 16 and 17 form two slots.

Fig. 4 is a view of the device according to Fig. 3 in the direction of the slots and shows that the thread is twice as often bent as in the modification according to Fig. 1. The intermediate plates or layers 19 and 20 can therefore be made thicker, because the increased friction caused by the double bending requires less clamping for securely preventing movement of the thread.

An embodiment which requires little space is shown in Fig. 5. The clamping device consists of two plates 23 and 24 forming a slot and of a plate 26 spaced therefrom by an intermediate layer 25, plate 26 gradually covering the slot in the direction of lateral movement of the thread. The plates 23 and 24 are so positioned with respect to the running direction of the thread 22 that the slot causes the lateral movement of the thread which is effected by separate plates 1 and 2 in the embodiment shown in Fig. 1.

While specific embodiments of the invention are shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions, additions and omissions may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for cleaning a longitudinally moving thread comprising a first pair of plates disposed in a plane and having parallel spaced edges forming a slot and being inclined with respect to the direction of the movement of the thread to be cleaned for laterally moving the thread whenever a slub in the thread reaches the slot, a second pair of plates disposed in a plane parallel to the plane in which said first pair of plates is disposed, the

plates of said second pair having parallel spaced edges forming a slot which is parallel to the slot formed by the first pair of plates, and a plate disposed between said two pairs of plates and having a marginal portion inclined with respect to and gradually covering the slots formed by said plates in the direction of the lateral movement of the thread.

2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which said plate which is disposed between said two pairs of plates is spaced from said pairs of plates.

3. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 including spacer means placed between said plate which is disposed between said two pairs of plates and said last mentioned plates for spacing the latter from said plate which is between said last mentioned plates.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Lentsch Apr. 11, Arrington Jan. 6, Brink Aug. 14, Abbot June 2, Doll Jan. 25,

FOREIGN PATENTS Germany Oct. 25, Switzerland Sept. 1, 

